HAWKESBURY Valley has set themselves up with a chance to qualify for the finals with a win this weekend over St Ives in NSW Suburban Rugby Union.
Valley is just two points behind Old Ignatians, currently placed fourth and holding the last spot in the finals, and a win this weekend could see the club leapfrog them into the post-season.
Valley is sixth, and also has to worry about Brothers, also on 29 points, nabbing the top spot, but the club has a few things going for it in the final round of the division three competition this weekend.
Firstly, it is playing St Ives, which has not won a game all season and has a disastrous points differential.
Secondly, Old Ignatians is playing Hawkesbury Ag College, which has comfortably sewn up a finals spot.
Old Ignatians has six wins this season, but in the only meeting with Ag College, it lost 59-12, and this weekend Ag College will be at home.
If Valley both Valley and Ag College put up big wins, Valley will be in with a genuine shot to qualify for the finals in first grade.
The club will also need to hope that Newport either beats Brothers, or does enough to deny the club a maximum points victory, but there is nothing it can do to control that.
Meanwhile, the weekend’s play saw Valley lose to Barker Old Boys, while Ag College had a 20-point win over Brothers.
Barker Old Boys have been on top of the table all season, and despite giving it a good crack, the visitors to McQuade Park were undone 60-24.
Club stalwart Dane Humphries crossed the stripe for a try, as did fullback Michael Lett, winger Zach Portini and centre Graham Woodhouse.
Ag College won 34-14 on the road to claim its 10th win for the season.
Number eight Michael Va’a bagged a brace of tries in the match, with centre Dean Jones, winger Campbell Hislop and lock Ben Goodier also crossing the stripe.
The second grade teams for both Valley and Ag College also collected wins at the weekend.
